GUN CONTROL

GUN Control

Gun Control

Introduction

The topic of my essay is the importance of Guns control as guns are ubiquitous within our society. In fact, over 40% of households within the United States report owning a firearm. Although the Second Amendment guarantees “the right of the people to keep and bear arms,” the question as to whether gun ownership is a right or a privilege remains controversial. The controversy lies in part, in the large number of fatal and nonfatal crimes that are committed with the use of a firearm. Research has repeatedly found that the availability of firearms has been linked to death and injury. In addition, crimes committed with the use of a firearm are more likely to result in the death of an individual than are crimes committed with any other weapon. This entry discusses the incidents of gun-related victimization in the United States, what groups are most likely to be victims, and attempts to prevent victimization through firearm regulation in the United States (Vizzard, 1995).

Discussion

Following are the reason of implementing Gun Control Act:

Gun Victimization in the United States

Between 1985 and 1993, violent crimes committed with firearms increased at an astronomical rate. In 1992 alone, the Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that crimes committed with handguns reached a record high of approximately 930,000. The vast majority of these crimes were nonfatal, including such crimes as robbery and sexual assault; however, over 13,000 fatalities were a result of gun-related homicide. Although the homicide rate in the United States had systematically increased and decreased over a 35-year period, the sudden increase in gun violence over this relatively short period can be directly attributed to the emergence of crack cocaine, as has consistently been noted in the literature. The rise in gun violence, which was largely perpetrated by juveniles and young adults, increased at an inordinately rapid rate; nevertheless, it declined in the same manner. Although the rise in gun violence and gun-related homicides was only temporary and has since stabilized to rates prior to 1985, gun victimization continues to be a problem in American society (Alvarez, 2008).

In 2005, over 470,000 individuals reported they had been a victim of a crime in which a firearm was used. In addition, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) report found that, on average, approximately 60% of all homicides in the United States involved a firearm. Notably, the secondly leading cause of injury-related deaths results from firearm use. Although much attention is paid to fatal victimizations, there are approximately six nonfatal injuries for each gun-related homicide. An estimated 25% of nonfatal violent crime survivors, including victims of sexual assault and robbery, reported the crime was committed with a handgun; handgun use accounts for approximately 13% of all violent crimes. It is not surprising that the United States leads developed nations not only in gun ownership but homicide rates, as well.

Victims of Gun Violence

Gun victimization crosses all socioeconomic, cultural, and geographic boundaries; however, certain populations are disproportionately involved in the gun-related crimes that occur within ...